ENHANCING MOBILITY OF THE ELDERLY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA CITIES THROUGH IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

It is interesting to note that 1975 to 2025 was considered as the “Ageing Era” by the United Nations. Thus, the global ageing of the population most especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa cities is responsible for an increase in demands for social and economic materials which invariably put pressure on the provision of public services such as health and transport. It should be noted that, there is a relationship between the quality of life the elderly and transportation. Thus, transport plays an important role in ensuring an active ageing mobility process.Recognition have however being given to the elderly through the health-care and the National pension plan. But the most dishearten part that receives little or no attention most especially in Sub- Saharan African countries like Nigeria is the mobility of the elderly. A continent with over 60% ageing population and low per capita income is expected to provide more affordable, convenient, flexible and accessible public transportation services.This paper analyzed the mobility of the elderly from the provision of public transport perspective and using mobility indicators-mean number of trips, time of travel, travel mode, accessibility and confortability of travel modes. The result shows that the available public transports in Nigeria cities are neither accessible nor convenient for the ageing population. As a result of economic hardship of the Nation for instance, most of the ageing population have no access to private means of mobility and thus they are increasingly dependent on the available public transport to meet their travel needs. Other findings reveals that the elderly makes more trips but with a selective time of travel. Nevertheless, the environmental emissions as well as exposure to traffic accident and long length of travel as a result of frequent traffic congestion have gross implications on the quality of life of the elderly.